Posts in “history” (172)
Blog Articles
The Free Library is celebrating Juneteenth! Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the end of enslavement in the United States and a time when we come together to celebrate this monumental… continue reading Celebrating Juneteenth!
By written by Inaara S. June 14, 2022
This June, the Free Library is celebrating Philadelphia’s immigrant communities! June is Immigrant Heritage Month , a time when we celebrate the beauty and strength of our city’s… continue reading Commemorating Immigrant Heritage Month This June
By written by Inaara S. June 3, 2022
Written by Edward P. On May 26, 1897, visitors to bookshops in London found a new book, for just six shillings, published by Constable and Co., bound in a lurid yellow cloth cover with blood red… continue reading Dracula at 125
By written by Administrator May 26, 2022
Written by Isabel S. April 23 marks the day that we traditionally celebrate William Shakespeare’s birth and deathday, though neither of those occasions are confirmed to have actually been on… continue reading Rosemary for Shakespeare
By written by Administrator April 25, 2022
Just in time for spring cleaning, N. C. Wyeth's The Old Woman Tost Up in a Basket is back on display in Up Above: Thinking About the Skies in Parkway Central Library. Creating and… continue reading Up Above: Thinking about the "Little Old Lady Tost Up in a Basket"
By written by Chris B. April 19, 2022 2
History is found in the pages of a textbook—or so I thought! This February, celebrate Black History Month by learning more about the history of Black quilt makers! Do you know about the… continue reading The Quilts of Gee's Bend
By written by Inaara S. February 16, 2022 1
Was there a saint of love? Despite myths surrounding the "real" Saint Valentine , this holiday likely owes its origins to Medieval English poet Chaucer . At a time of growing romance… continue reading Who Was the Saint of Valentine's Day?
By written by Emily S. February 14, 2022
Araminta (Minty) Ross was born a slave in March 1821. As a free woman, she was reborn under the name of Harriet Tubman. As the conductor of the Underground Railroad, Harriet was named the Moses of… continue reading Harriet Tubman’s Legacy
By written by Mary Marques February 3, 2022
Most of us are familiar with the artwork created by the Works Progress Administration: the striking photography, the murals in state buildings and post offices, the posters, and the public… continue reading The Federal Writers' Project American Guides
By written by Nina C. January 18, 2022
Written by Lewis Shaw, who conducted extensive research in the Art Department as part of a Friends Select School Senior Internship Project. The following is a continuation of a previous blog post… continue reading A Continued Discussion on the Topics of Surrealism and Gender
By written by Administrator November 10, 2021
The 1960 presidential campaign was close, hard-fought, and left both sides feeling embittered. Kennedy’s final margin of victory was less than 115,000 votes out of nearly 70 million… continue reading Frenemies: The Strange Friendship of JFK and Richard Nixon
By written by Richard L. November 3, 2021 1
All October we'll be talking about LGBTQ History on the Free Library's blog! So far we've discussed LGBTQ Historical Young Adult Fiction and LGBTQ History Told Through Comics and… continue reading More Than Stonewall: LGBTQ Historical Nonfiction
By written by Shelley R. October 28, 2021
40 years ago on this day, October 15, 1981, a film debuted that not only scared audiences but would send shivers through Hollywood for years to come, serving as not only an artistic influence on… continue reading Reopening the Book of the Dead: The Evil Dead 40th Anniversary
By written by Peter SM October 15, 2021
A panel from Hazel Newlevant's exposé of queer uprisings found within Be Gay, Do Comics!. All October we'll be talking about LGBTQ History on the Free Library's blog! Last week… continue reading LGBTQ History Told Through Comics and Graphic Novels
By written by Shelley R. October 13, 2021
The New Deal, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s political experiment to pull the United States out of the Great Depression, created programs for relief for the unemployed and economic… continue reading Explore the New Deal’s Legacy Across Philadelphia
By written by Laura S. October 5, 2021
October is LGBTQ History Month ! A lot of straight and/or cisgender people like to treat gay people like we didn't exist until Ellen Degeneres came out as a lesbian in 1997 ; and as if… continue reading We Were Always Here: LGBTQ Historical Young Adult Fiction
By written by Shelley R. October 1, 2021 1
September 24 is International Bollywood Day! So... what exactly is Bollywood? Depending on who you ask, each person defines it differently. In the film My Name Is Khan , an Indian man… continue reading What Do You Know About Bollywood? | International Bollywood Day
By written by Inaara S. September 28, 2021 1
Today, September 22, we welcome the equinox once again! On this day twice each year, the sun rests directly over the equator, so day and night are nearly equal in length all over the globe. In the… continue reading Move into Autumn with the Harvest Moon
By written by Emily S. September 22, 2021 2
Hispanic Heritage Month is a celebration of Hispanic heritage and culture through festivals, cuisine, cultural events, and art, encompassing people of various races, ethnicities, nationalities,… continue reading Hispanic Heritage Month Begins!
By written by Inaara S. September 16, 2021
Whether it is eating ice cream, swimming, or visiting your neighborhood library, there are so many great summer pastimes. One of the most exciting parts of summer is listening to all the… continue reading Best Summer Albums Through the Decades
By written by Inaara S. September 2, 2021 1